A father and son bought their first store together in a town referenced in an Eagles song, two brothers revived a closed dealership, a dealer purchased his first franchised store, and another store changed hands in transactions that closed in the first and second quarters of 2022.
Here’s a look at the deals involving domestic dealerships in Arizona and Iowa.
Father, son buy first dealership together
Father Mark Harris and son Ben Harris purchased Winslow Ford in Arizona from Robb Hatch on Jan. 4, 2022, Ben Harris confirmed.
The dealership’s name remains, Ben Harris, the store’s general manager and operating partner, told Automotive News.
Winslow, a city located off historic U.S. Route 66, was immortalized by the Eagles’ 1972 hit “Take It Easy,” with the lyrics “Well, I’m a standing on a corner in Winslow, Arizona.”
There’s now a park and a flatbed Ford — also referenced in the song — on display near the corner.
And the town hosts an annual Standin’ on the Corner festival.
“We sponsor a portion of the festival,” Ben Harris told Automotive News. “There’s not a ton … that coincides with cars, but we loan vehicles out for people flying in to visit.”
The song’s attention helps fuel tourism, he said. “There’s actually a restaurant in town called Flatbed Ford,” he said. “Funny enough, with the inventory constraints and everything, I haven’t been able to get one.”
Ben Harris and his father also own Flagstaff Chevrolet, about an hour’s drive west of the Winslow store.
For now, the Harris duo doesn’t have plans for expansion, but Ben Harris said he’s open to acquiring dealerships if timing and opportunity align.
Kirk Rimsnider of Prism Business Brokers represented the seller in the transaction.
Brothers buy Iowa dealership
Brothers Kris and Kyle McKinzie on March 10, 2022, purchased Crown Motor Group in Mount Pleasant, Iowa, from Kelly Barnett, Kris McKinzie confirmed to Automotive News. The dealership had been closed before the purchase, he said.
Barnett bought the dealership, then selling Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep and Ram brands, from Gregory Shottenkirk of Shottenkirk Automotive Group Inc., according to Automotive News data. An October 2020 Southeast Iowa Union story said the transaction happened in 2019.
A story from that paper in April 2021 reported that Crown Motor’s lot went empty one day and the dealership appeared to have closed.
“A car dealership, the only car dealership in town, closed,” said Kris McKinzie, general manager. “We were able to bring it back to life and support a community that was under-supported.”
The dealership, renamed Krusen Motors, sells the Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep, Ram, Chevrolet and GMC brands. A Buick franchise went back to the manufacturer in the deal, Kris McKinzie said. It was unclear when the store added the General Motors brands.
Mount Pleasant is southeast of Iowa’s capital city of Des Moines.
The McKinzie family also owns Kruse Motors in Marshall, Minn., Kris McKinzie said. That site has two dealerships, selling Ford-Lincoln and Buick-GMC.
Dealer buys first franchised dealership
Clint Helmuth acquired his first new-car dealership, a Ford store, with the Jan. 14, 2022, purchase of the former Wagler Motors in Sigourney, Iowa, according to a Ford Motor Co. spokesperson.
The dealership was renamed Helmuth Ford. Sigourney is east of Des Moines.
Seller Mike Wagler’s family owned the dealership for more than 60 years, according to a March 2022 story in The News in Kalona, Iowa.
The story said Helmuth also owns two used-car dealerships, Kalona Auto and Wilton Auto, both in Iowa.
Harrison Corp. adds Ford store
Harrison Corp. on May 5, 2022, acquired Billion Ford of Clear Lake in Iowa from Billion Automotive, according to a Ford spokesperson.
Harrison Corp. renamed the dealership Harrison Ford of Clear Lake. Clear Lake is in northern Iowa.
The company also owns Harrison Ford of Mankato in Minnesota. Mankato is northwest of Clear Lake.
Billion Automotive, of Sioux Falls, S.D., sold a Montana Kia dealership to Campbell Auto Group in June. The group also purchased three Minnesota dealerships selling Ford, Stellantis and GM brands in March and April 2022.
Billion Automotive has dealerships in South Dakota, Iowa and Minnesota, according to its website.
